Kisses Sweeter Than Wine
by thedeardeer
Summary: A fill-in-the-blank for what happened between The Wedding, Part II and The Honeymoon's Overboard. Co-authored by EspoirDio.
1. Part 1

Dear all, happy 1000 stories!

This is a piece EspoirDio and I co-authored. If you can figure out who wrote what let us know in the reviews.

Disclaimer: The characters in the story aren't ours, except for the two minor characters.

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The street was almost empty as two figures stumbled out of a building, clinging around each others waist, their erupting laughter sending little clouds out into the otherwise crystal clear night. Their movements were in many ways still mimicking their motions from minutes ago when they had danced inside that very building. A faint noise of Streisand ebbed out of the two-doored portal behind them. For quite some time they were giggling and snickering, seemingly unaware of their surroundings and unaware of the limousine that, as if on cue, had pulled up in front of the entrance, just a few feet away from them. The doorman held the door to the limousine open with an expectant look on his face which went entirely unnoticed by the blonde socialite and her sandy-haired companion because they were so immersed with each other, laughing about something they had long forgotten already.

If anyone had questioned them right there and then what they found so funny they would have had difficulties pinpointing where this frenzy had originated. Or maybe they would have found that the liquor they had consumed en masse had somewhat blurred the memory. And then, they probably would have broken out into laughter because of the sheer hilarity of the situation.

Yet, there was nobody there to ask them, only the doorman, who was still patiently (and silently) waiting for them to enter the car. Finally, breathlessly, they stopped and for the first time since they had left the building they took in their surroundings. Naturally, as the evening had come to a close and silently shifted into night, the sky had been tinted black with only a milky moon contrasting against it. Yet, as they had spent all evening and the wee hours of the morning enjoying each other's company, dancing, bickering, they had not taken notice of the passing time or the changing colours of the night sky. CC remembered in perfect clarity how they had swayed to the music, their bodies close to each other, their minds caught up in the moment, hands and arms interlocked. Niles's hand was now casually resting on CC's hipbone, while her hands clung around his neck, locked in an almost intimate embrace.

"Who knew that spending an evening with an old, fat man could be so much fun, huh?", CC said finally and a whimsical smile played on her lips as she waited for the habitual zinger she knew was about to come her way.

"Oh please, don't talk about yourself like that!", Niles retorted. And there it was!

CC grimaced. "Whatever, Butler Boy. At the end of the day we both know you enjoyed it, too."

Niles merely nodded in silent agreement to what she had just said. There was no denying that he had enjoyed himself. Even that was an understatement. His lips curved into a smirk – something she had grown to adore over the last couple of years. (Scratch that, decades!)

CC pressed her lips together in an effort not to burst into laughter again, but she failed. Instead, she raised her hands to cover her mouth and snorted with laughter to which Niles raised his eyebrows questioningly. She was just about to open her mouth when the doorman made himself noticeable with a nervous clearing of his throat, and the moment was lost. Niles glanced over to the man clad in a formal black uniform with silver buttons and his face turned to look at CC again, a slight note of annoyance in his eyes to have their moment interrupted in that seemingly insignificant way. Still, neither of them only did so much as move an inch to follow the doorman (more or less) silent urge to get into the car.

"Well, I shall be off, Miss Babcock," Niles addressed finally CC.

"Oh yes, absolutely! We should go home."

Niles smiled at her and let go of her hip, taking two slow steps backwards.

"Hey!," CC called out after him. "Wanna share a ride?" CC grinned and gestured towards the open door of the car.

"I, um, -" Niles mumbled.

"Oh, come on!" she exclaimed, grabbed his hand and yanked him towards the car. He almost tripped over his own feet thanks to the gusto of her pull, but recovered quickly as she squeezed into the car, their entwined hands forcing Niles to do the same, and the momentum of her pull still so ardent that Niles's body crashed into the right side of hers as he sat down beside her. And so they were sitting in the backseat of the limousine, squished into one corner, yet unadmittedly not one bit uncomfortable.

The person in the driver's seat rolled down the blackened window to find two individuals in the backseat. He had meant to ask them where he was supposed to take them but hesitated when he saw who was sitting in the car. He recognized the butler and the blue-eyed blonde immediately and there were three things about them that caught his eye: First, the way they had squeezed together in one place in the otherwise fairly spacious car; second, their hands that were (still) linked, resting between them; and third, the emotion that was written all over their faces: deep affection. A silent smile passed his lips as he rolled up the window again and slid the car out of the parking spot onto the street.

Niles and CC barely noticed the car moving. Instead, their heads were filled with a lighthearted, insouciant giddiness. CC felt the corners of her mouth twitch upwards again, and she stared at their linked hands. Oddly enough, this didn't strike her as anything peculiar. It seemed fitting.

CC stole a glance at him. Then the twitching corners of her mouth broke into a smile and she giggled.

"What?" Niles asked, perplexed.

He, too, had concerned himself with his left hand which seemed to fit so well with CC's right. There had been a slight tug in his stomach when she had reached for his hand and had fiercely pulled him towards the waiting limousine, and that tugging had dissolved into warmth spreading through his whole body when their hands had remained together and CC hadn't moved away from him inside the car. And ever so slightly a feeling of happiness had mixed into that of liquor-induced giddiness – a feeling that made his heart pound.

"Nothing," CC responded and buried her face in his shoulder. Feeling the muffled sounds of her giggle against his body, Niles could not help but grin a goofy grin.

CC shifted her head, resting her chin on top of his shoulder, glancing up at him. A glint in her eyes and a happiness written all over her face. He realized that he had seldom seen her this content and relaxed… and whether he liked to admit it or not, it made him happy just the same.

With a little effort he snuck his left arm around her and once again she stirred and nestled her head against his shoulder, her forehead touching his cheek.

"You know what?" Niles asked and felt her move, but evidently the effort it would take for her to make eye contact was too great.

"Mmh?" she only hummed in return.

"I'm beginning to understand why you value your relationship with alcohol so much."

There was a part of her that was feebly beginning to protest at this assessment, but her mind felt so deliciously hazy that none of the words ever made it past her tongue.

"And why is that?" she asked instead, readying herself for another zinger, something along the lines of being used to paying for things, perhaps. But he surprised her.

"It makes everything so…" he thought momentarily, the quick-witted part of him working only sluggishly to supply him with the right word, " _easy._ "

She scrunched her forehead, trying to follow him.

"Speak English, goddamnit," she finally demanded, another involuntary giggle spilling from her mouth.

"Well, you know…all the things that we did tonight. The laughing, the dancing, the…" he paused once more and only waggled his eyebrows to fill in the missing activity – causing her to laugh harder, "we wouldn't have done any of it if it wasn't for the liquor."

C.C. hummed and pursed her lips as if carefully assessing his statement.

"Not true," she finally concluded.

"So true," he argued childishly, "two years ago when we -"

"Yeah, yeah," she interrupted him, seeing no need to revisit that particular memory when they hadn't even spoken of it since, "but what about that banquet… event… thing…" she feebly gestured around "we ended up dancing back at the mansion."

"As far as I remember we did have something to drink then," Niles pointed out with a grin.

"Yes, but there's a difference between having a drink and being drunk." She rolled her eyes dramatically and he snorted.

"Of course, my mistake, who am I to lecture you in your area of expertise?"

This time she did find the energy to look up at him and after she'd shot a glare as well, she jabbed him in the side.

"Oomph," he chuckled but brought her closer nonetheless.

It was then that the limousine came to a halt in front of the mansion. Noticing the absence of motion, Niles glanced out of the window only to realize that he had arrived at his destination. He looked back at CC and hesitated for a moment, squeezing her hand, before he opened the door and climbed out of the car, a bit unsteady as his feet hit the sidewalk.

CC skidded closer to the door in an effort to follow Niles out of the car. However, at that moment the window was rolled down another time, and the driver once again looked into the passenger cabin of the car.

"Miss Babcock?" he asked, "Am I to take you to your apartment now?"

"Um… no," CC answered, "not now," and hurried out of the car.

"Niles!" CC said louder than she had intended to and Niles instantly turned around to face her. As his eyes looked at her, CC struggled with her words.

"I, um… I just wanted to… um…" Her voice trailed off. His name had just escaped her mouth as a sort of protest to their sudden separation, a request to spend just a little more time with him - if only mere moments - and because this had been her only agenda, in calling out his name, every other thought, every other word had faded away.

They stood in front of the mansion for a while, unsure of what to say. A few moments passed in silence while their driver was still waiting for CC to get back into the car and take her to her penthouse.

"Good night, Butler Boy," CC finally said, lacing her hands with his. Neither of them was ready to admit it, but this had been more than just an evening full of pleasantries, and they were not ready to let go just yet, somehow both aware that the feeling was mutual.

Smiling, Niles echoed her words. He held on to her hands for just a little longer before he let go of them slowly, letting them slip out of his own, and turned towards the townhouse.

CC stood at the bottom of the stairs as she watched Niles climb the three steps to the door. A few moments later Niles turned to her and his gaze caught hers, an unuttered invitation in his expression. She glanced over her shoulder towards the limousine that was waiting at the curb for her and then back at Niles.

Confronted with the decision to either return to the car and drive home or to spend the night at the mansion (and with Niles), CC remained at the bottom of the stairs, almost exactly halfway between the front door and the limousine, when, really, the _rational_ solution was fairly simple. She should go home, to sleep off the alcohol that circulated in her body.

And yet she didn't move.


	2. Part 2

She just kept her eyes fixed on Niles's and a warm happiness spread through her body (and it was in that moment that CC made her decision). Whatever way this feeling had come into being, she didn't want it to stop. She wanted more of it.

For a while nothing happened, and then everything at once.

In an instant, CC ran up the stairs and stumbled into his arms. She grabbed his head with both her hands and kissed him full on the lips.

At first, Niles seemed slightly surprised, but he recovered quickly and kissed her back without a single notion of hesitation. Simultaneously, his arms slid around the small of her back, careful and cautious at first, then more vigorously, and brought her closer to his body, closing the last few inches left between them. CC felt the happy palpitations of her heart just as much as she felt Niles's heart beating under her palm which had come to rest on his chest. Everything around them turned into meaningless nothingness. They didn't feel the crisp breeze that surrounded them nor did they notice the few cars that passed them, their passengers curiously interested in the couple locked in an intimate embrace at the side of the road.

All CC could focus on was Niles, the trace of brandy on his warm, soft lips, the faint, familiar smell of lemon buried somewhere under his cologne. Likewise, Niles's attention was preoccupied with how much he had been craving the touch of her, how much he had been longing to feel her in his arms again ever since their kiss some odd years ago. Why was it that she got to him so much? She was his kryptonite, his nemesis, his enemy. And yet he could not get enough of her. His left hand traced her side as it travelled up to her shoulder blade while the other cupped her cheek. He couldn't help but feel drawn to this woman, and tonight he wanted to do nothing less than surrender to his nemesis completely. Their kisses grew more impetuous and hungry and they tumbled through the door and into the mansion, shutting the door behind them. Niles pinned her against the door while her arms roamed rambunctiously over his torso, finally settling on the buttons of his coat and taking it off after having unbuttoned them, before moving on to his shirt. Her body bumped into his carelessly in the process.

"Miss Babcock, -"

"Shhhh," she shushed clumsily against his mouth as she continued to kiss him with abandon.

"Miss Babcock," Niles tried again, pulling away from her, a silent question in his eyes to which her answer was a soft, lingering kiss.

She felt his lips stretch into a smile before they travelled to her neck and she arched her head in anticipation. He feathered kisses along her jaw line and she closed her eyes - half because she was tired and half due to that goddamn feeling that tingled all the way from where his lips touched her skin down her spine. He moved on to her neck again, exploring and occasionally biting in an effort to mark her as his. And she happily allowed it, grasping at him, pulling him firmly against her to urge him on further. He was panting and the barely stifled moans that kept washing over the shell of her ear nearly drove her out of her mind. She had to taste him again. Tilting her head briskly, she captured his lips with full force, hungrily tugging at them, trying to get enough of him without ever reaching her fill. They broke apart for only a second – both in desperate need for some air – before their lips found each other again. This time their rhythm was slower though it still carried the same intensity. They were exploring now, getting to know each other; delighted in discovering which touches caused the other one to moan and lose control. But before their passion threatened to ignite anew, they always found a way to settle back into that calmer pace. But even with the passion momentarily taking a backseat, their kisses felt special. Niles's body felt alive with an emotion that he hadn't encountered since his late teenage years. There was a giddiness bubbling in the pit of his stomach, an all-consuming happiness that he couldn't possibly allow to stop. And C.C. wanted nothing more than to remain in his arms like that, feeling him, being with him in a way that she finally didn't have to second-guess. For that brief moment there was a connection between them that communicated much more than they had ever been able to communicate since their very first encounter. The other one felt familiar and safe, comfortable and yet extremely exciting.

That's why when he stopped all of a sudden, she let out a soft sound that was somewhere between irritation and protest. She tried pulling him closer once more, refusing to open her eyes while the sensation still lingered so pleasantly. But when even that began to fade away and she realised how silly she must look, she reluctantly opened them.

"Do you need another hint?" she asked, perhaps a little sharper than she had intended. But suddenly with that new and warm feeling fading away fast, the possibility of having made the wrong decision back at the limousine occurred to her and she half-wished she would've asked the driver to take her home.

And when Niles only chuckled, she began to believe that her worst fears might have come true. Perhaps this had just been a set-up for another one of his hideous pranks. And as indifferent as she liked to think she felt towards him, somehow she knew that she couldn't bear to be rejected and humiliated like this.

"What's so funny?" she frowned, taking half an uncoordinated step away from him so her back collided with the door.

"I don't know," he smiled softly and reached forward to loosen a few strands of hair that had started to slip out of her bun, "I was just thinking back to that moment you prohibited me from talking about?"

She nodded, trying to figure out where he was headed.

"And I came to the conclusion that we shouldn't continue here if we don't want to be interrupted again."

Relief flooded through her and she exhaled.

"You're drunker than I thought," she commented with a chuckle, "the newlybrats are off on their honeymoon, remember?"

"Still, you never know," he replied and then added amused, "did you just call them newlybrats?"

"Should that really matter right now?" she challenged and he hurriedly nodded.

"Oh… right."

But before he could say anything else that might disrupt their moment further, C.C. slipped her hand back into his and led him up the stairs.

Once in his room she began to fumble with the remaining buttons on his shirt, a task which wasn't exactly made any easier by his constant movements. He seemed to somehow sway on his feet while his hands were caressing her sides and trying to peel off the wrap (bathrobe, whatever lol) she had chosen to wear over her gown.

A ripping noise made both of them stop in their tracks.

"Oops," C.C. commented in a less than genuine tone while her hand went to cover her mouth so she wouldn't burst out laughing again.

"That was one of my good shirts as well!" Niles complained, grinning himself.

"I'll drop the 50 cents onto your nightstand in the morning. Now keep touching me." She instructed, placing his hands back on her hips. He chuckled softly, moved his hand to her chin instead and brought her closer for another kiss.

He had hoped to slow them down somewhat, but after their lips met for the first time after what seemed like hours, he realised what a big mistake he had made. Their spark was instantaneous, just as it had been at the front door of the mansion and before he knew it, she had woven her fingers through his hair once more and was tugging at them in such a way that made him moan in anticipation.

"Miss Babcock… C.C.," he panted after a while when her fingers that were trying to unclasp his belt jarred him out of the delirious state he was in, "just let me change first… before you ruin any more of my clothes. And let me freshen up as well, alright?"

He wasn't entirely sure what had possessed him to ask her that, but it had suddenly occurred to him that he might very well be having sex with the woman he had fantasised about for years now and it made him feel surprisingly unprepared and nervous. He hadn't pictured himself with a ripped up shirt or so intoxicated that his movements could be described as clumsy at best. He'd envisioned passion, of course, but not in this all-consuming, never-mind-the-consequences kind of way. He had wanted it to mean something; he had wanted to be sure that she wouldn't regret it. And so, perhaps, if he gave them a moment apart, slowed down their pace, they would still stand a chance.

"Ugh…buzzkill…" she groaned, pushing him playfully away. He managed to produce a nervous chuckle and captured her hands.

"It'll only take a moment." He kissed her knuckles and slipped out of the door again.

For a minute or two, C.C. remained in the middle of the room, feeling at a loss of what to do and more than slightly frustrated at the interruptions they had encountered since that heated kiss by the front door. It had been longer than she cared to admit since she had last been intimate with a man and the want and desire she felt for Niles – built up over years and years – was threatening to consume her. Not that she minded it one bit; if anything the liquor enabled her to feel more carefree about it. But she needed Niles to cooperate before – God forbid – the buzz would wear off and she'd start questioning things again.

Looking aimlessly around the room, C.C. began humming a tune to herself that she'd last heard at the wedding reception, swivelled around inelegantly on her heels and spotted another door that was leading to his walk-in closet. Bored as she was, she decided to explore a little, chuckling when she saw the contents.  
"Slightly creepy," she muttered at the neatness of it but the novelty quickly wore off. There was nothing special in the room, no dirty magazines and no toys; nothing she could tease him about. Heaving a disappointed sigh she turned back to face the door and noticed an item that couldn't have stood in a bigger contrast to the rest of the clothes he owned. A bright red robe with a white collar and white lapels. Irrationally amused she slipped out of her gown and into the robe that came to rest heavily on her shoulders.

"Babcock?" his voice interrupted the fun she was having and she hurriedly closed the robe and peeked her head out of (through?) the door.

"Hello, lover."

His face was priceless. For a second it looked as if he wasn't sure whether to frown or to laugh.

"What are you wearing?"

"Don't you recognise it? It's from the butler's haute couture line," she replied, twirling around on the spot, "I didn't know you liked such risqué things. Has Nanny Fine rubbed off on you?"

"In a manner of speaking," Niles said, tugging her closer, "someone from Mrs Sheffield's family must've left it here. Sylvia sent someone to pack her honeymoon suitcase while we were at the reception…apparently that robe didn't make the cut and -"

"I'm really not that interested," C.C. interrupted and moved her hands back to his belt, "I'd rather know why you've returned still wearing your pants!"

"Impatient, aren't you?" he quipped, slipping his hands under her robe and parting it to reveal her body to him, "And gorgeous…" He couldn't stop the words from spilling out.

Under normal circumstances C.C. might have blushed and turned a little shyer like she usually did when somebody was paying her a compliment, but in her current state she only tipped her head back and let out a sultry laugh.

"Now you're getting the hang of this."

She crushed her lips to his and tried navigating him towards the bed at the same time which only resulted in them tumbling onto the sheets. They laughed loudly and with far more gusto than the situation called for before their hands started their frantic search anew. Skin brushed against skin, coaxing out sighs and moans alike. But the passion that had carried them so far slowly dissipated when the alcohol and activity-filled day took its toll and caused exhaustion to overwhelm them so that they fell asleep with their bodies still intertwined.

The first thing that awoke Niles the following morning was a heavy throbbing behind his closed lids.

He groaned quietly and opened his eyes a tiny fraction. Fresh pain flared up and so he hurriedly closed them again. He needed and aspirin and he needed it fast. And preferably some ice. That would help, too.

It was when he tried pushing himself up to a sitting position that he noticed the other body next to him. She was still covered by the sheets and her blonde hair was dishevelled, but there was no mistaking it, it was C.C. Babcock. Images flashed like snapshots through his mind as he tried stringing together what had happened the previous night. But before he could get anywhere, the nausea that often went hand in hand with a hangover bubbled up and he realised that getting some pain relief needed to be his priority.

And C.C. was likely to regret the events in anyway, whether was he there when she woke up or not.


End file.
